Every year in December, the BART Board of Directors selects their president, and Thursday the board unanimously elected the incoming top two leadership positions.
Bob Franklin, who worked for BART for six years in its finance and planning departments, became the first former BART employee to serve as board president when he was unanimously voted in Thursday by the nine-member board.
Franklin represents District 3, which covers Kensington, Piedmont, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, and portions of Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward, and Castro Valley. He was elected in 2004.
Historically, the board selects a vice president from a different county than that of the president, and the board continued that tradition by selecting Contra Costa representative John McPartland to serve as vice president.
McPartland’s district includes Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, Sunol, San Ramon, and parts of Castro Valley, Hayward, and Danville.
After recognizing the work of outgoing Board President James Fang, Franklin outlined his priorities for the upcoming year, including replacing the system’s aging fleet of train cars, improving community relations, and fostering a positive relationship with employees.
“We have the oldest fleet for an agency of our type, with cars that average 30 years old,” Franklin said, adding that by the time the cars are replaced, the average age will be 51 years old.
Patricia Decker, Bay City News
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